Report: Falcons TE Hooper out a month

Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper is expected to be out "about a month" with an MCL sprain in his knee, NFL Network reported Wednesday. Asked about the report, head coach Dan Quinn told the media that belief was "not from our building," but he did say Hooper is a "long shot" to play Sunday at Carolina.

Hooper was hurt late in Sunday's win at New Orleans, after catching four passes for 17 yards and a touchdown. It was his fourth straight game with a score, giving him six on the season and tying him for the league lead among tight ends with Houston's Darren Fells. Hooper, 25, is also tied with Kansas City's Travis Kelce for the most receptions (56) among tight ends. His yardage total (608) ranks second, behind only Kelce.

A third-round pick out of Stanford in 2016, Hooper is in the final year of his rookie contract and drew some buzz as a possible trade target before the October deadline. In his fourth season, he has 195 catches for 2,065 yards and 16 touchdowns in 55 games (26 starts).

Quinn also said running back Devonta Freeman is a longshot to play on Sunday. NFL Network reported on Monday that Freeman will miss two weeks with a foot sprain. 

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)